Chapter 495: Womb of Light

Whoosh!

The black crystal, as if drawn by an invisible force, landed directly in Fang Xing's palm.

"The divine crystal of the Dark Angel?"

"It is filled with corruption, pollution, and the scheme of a deity… to use it, you must purify it first."

Fang Xing examined it briefly and gave a detached evaluation.

"The divine crystal of an angel?"

Fang Qiong watched this scene, feeling the Dark Aether within her body stirred as if pulled by an unseen force.

After Dai Wei was sacrificed, she was no longer bound; the previous curse had become the finest nourishment, and she felt ready to break the Second Great Limit at any moment.

With time, breaking the Third and Fourth Great Limits would be no challenge.

Could this divine crystal be used to help a Vajra practitioner break the Fifth Great Limit?

Vajra practitioners are formidable, often possessing combat power one major realm higher than their rank. If an angel-ranked Vajra practitioner emerged, wouldn't he be able to slay deities?

'No… how could deities be ranked like mortals?'

Fang Qiong shook her head, suppressing the thought.

At this moment, looking again, the ancient Gulan-era secret realm city was collapsing rapidly.

The steel forests of towering buildings turned to ash at the slightest breeze.

Infinite Aether surged in, causing the space here to gradually grow illusory.

"Is this… the secret realm collapsing after Dai Wei's death?"

"Not long now—this place will become like most regions of the Aether Realm, leaving only ruins behind…"

For some reason, Fang Qiong felt like crying.

"Don't shed tears, or you'll die—or fall…"

Fang Xing suddenly spoke.

"Why?" Fang Qiong forced back her tears, her heart swelling with endless questions.

"Because… He's here."

Fang Xing smiled, pointing to the ground.

Fang Qiong looked down and realized with shock that she and Fang Xing had somehow entered a patch of shadow.

The shadow took the shape of a bird, with wings and a beak, resembling a raven.

She looked up in astonishment, but saw only shattered void: "This…"

"The Dark Deity—the Shadow of the Raven. You saw Olivier rise to angelhood; you should have known He was nearby then."

Fang Xing smiled, watching the raven's shadow on the ground coalesce into a figure draped in a black cloak.

The figure wore goggles and had a medieval doctor's beak-like mask, blending archaic and modern aesthetics.

'The deities of this world are different from those of the main universe—they don't instantly twist or drive one mad…'

'On the contrary, they can communicate, devise schemes, even bestow blessings…'

Fang Xing's mind stirred: "Shadow of the Raven."

"Master of the Vajra, Fang Xing. I have been watching you…"

The Shadow of the Raven spoke in a hoarse voice, like a mix of crow and owl, causing discomfort at once: "On you, I see no fate…"

"Hehe, great deity, what could a mere mortal like me possibly offer you?"

Fang Xing smiled faintly.

"Olivier was the angel I favored. You killed him…"

The Shadow of the Raven rasped: "Of course, I don't care about a single angel—but I care about mortals' attitudes. You are special. Perhaps you are the true blasphemer, ascending to 'pseudo-deity' without divine elevation…"

Those elevated by deities and bound by them are called 'angels'; those who ascend on their own are naturally 'pseudo-deities.'

"But… the Six Deities reign supreme. Don't you wish to become a true deity?"

The Shadow of the Raven's voice carried a hint of temptation—He was the deity of corruption: "Join me… I've tried many interesting things. Now I believe causing a deity's fall is both fascinating and challenging… Perhaps then, I'll consider elevating you to a new deity…"

"A deity?"

Fang Qiong's heart trembled violently: "Could… could Ah Xing become a god?"

"Hehe… no wonder you're the deity of Darkness. If I accept, I'll fall instantly, won't I?"

Fang Xing sneered, shaking his head: "So this Dai Wei was your trap all along—targeting whoever fate led to you. You trapped Olivier, you trapped the God of History… and now you want to trap me?"

"It seems you're refusing my offer."

The Shadow of the Raven didn't move much, but the raven-shadow suddenly expanded.

"Ah!"

In an instant, Fang Qiong realized the shadow beneath her feet had become a chasm, ready to swallow her whole.

Before such power, even a Vajra practitioner stood no chance.

But in that very moment, a black hand appeared, seized her, and hurled her far away.

"Is that the Hand of No-Darkness? Brother?!"

Fang Qiong's face turned pale with panic, staring at Fang Xing—she saw him, having pushed her away, now engulfed in shadow, then vanish with a "whoosh" into the abyss.

In the darkness, the hoarse voice continued:

"Hehe… so naive."

The Shadow of the Raven laughed: "You saved her—you lost your chance. This is human affection? I'm satisfied with this body. I'll take it…"

Before the words ended, endless darkness surged into Fang Xing's body, seeping through every pore.

"Oh? It seems… you're not a mortal who became a god."

Fang Xing's expression turned strange; he clasped his hands together: "I've finally met another who wants to possess me… Thank you…"

"What?"

The Shadow of the Raven sensed danger, then realized something was wrong.

As Fang Xing clasped his hands, a terrifying sun rose from his body.

It stood above infinite time and space, an eternal celestial body, within which loomed an indescribable Vajra silhouette.

The Vajra had three heads and six arms, each hand forming a mudra, wielding a different Aether force.

Mechanism, Blood, Stone, Heart, Darkness, History…

All Six Aethers held in his grasp—this was the 'Six-Void Time-Wheel Emptiness Vajra!'

Above the Vajra's head hovered a rainbow, signifying his Dharma-nature had reached the 'Rainbow Transformation' state!

Body becomes Buddha, Dharma-nature transforms into rainbow—soul and body united, this is Tathagata!

At this moment, the black arm of the 'Six-Void Time-Wheel Emptiness Vajra' representing 'Darkness' suddenly moved, forming the 'Sun Wheel Mudra!'

A great solar furnace appeared, trapping the 'Shadow of the Raven' within.

"What… is this ritual?"

"What kind of seal? How can it bind me? Impossible—I am a deity, in the Aether Realm! I cannot be defeated by a mortal!"

The hoarse voice turned piercingly sharp—but it was useless!

As the solar furnace appeared, a mark of an eternal sun emerged on Fang Xing's third eye.

Black patterns formed across his body, converging on his back into strange feather-like marks.

They resembled a black raven, yet fire fell from them, forming the image of a golden sun crow.

"This is the supreme attainment of my Vajra sect—the Great Radiance Womb Realm Mandala!"

Fang Xing spoke calmly.

As he formed the mudra, lotus wombs slowly bloomed, enveloping the golden sun crow.

The lotus wombs wrapped the 'Shadow of the Raven,' sinking into Fang Xing's body—or perhaps existing just outside it.

Boom!

As three thousand lotuses bloomed, three thousand dragon-headed Vajra chants echoed, three thousand celestial maidens danced… a mysterious city of time-wheels opened there.

The 'Six-Void Time-Wheel Emptiness Vajra' descended, seated cross-legged in the city, becoming the Six-Void Time-Wheel Emptiness Vajra Altar.

The Shadow of the Raven was crushed beneath the altar, unable to emit even a whisper.

"I knew… in any struggle over angelhood, a deity would intervene. You thought this was your trap? But it was mine all along!"

Fang Xing smiled: "Imprisoning a deity, studying it slowly—now I have the foundation to become a god. Moreover, my goal is to become a god above gods, a creator god. If the Six Aethers can transform into one another, there must be a higher Aether—perhaps called 'Radiance'… or 'Sun'?"

To the extraordinary ones of this world's hidden circles, imprisoning a deity and usurping its divinity would be unforgivable blasphemy.

But to Fang Xing, this was only the beginning—even the position of Darkness was merely a stepping stone.

With time, thanks to his Proficiency Panel, he would surely grind his way up.

He brushed off his robes and walked to the ruins of the secret realm.

Fang Qiong stood stunned, staring at it all: "Brother… what happened?"

She had only seen Fang Xing fall into the raven's shadow, then reappear—while the Dark Deity vanished without a trace.

"Nothing much… I just defeated that Dark Deity. That's all."

Fang Xing smiled faintly.

Though his experience was legendary, he didn't need to explain it.

'But the mudras, secret arts, and rituals I used to bind the Dark Deity—these will carry immense symbolic weight in this world. If written as secret scriptures, they'll be taboo-level… even in my Vajra sect, they're the most exalted. Perhaps I should name them the 'Great Sun Scripture'?'

Before Fang Xing, no mortal in this world had ever defeated a deity, let alone ascended to godhood.

Now, such a possibility truly existed—truly a first in a hundred generations.

"Let's go."

Fang Xing was about to take Fang Qiong away when his expression suddenly shifted, turning toward a certain point in the Ether Realm.

At that moment, an old man emerged from behind the broken walls and rubble.

He wore a gentleman's suit, leaned on a cane, appeared frail and aged, and sported gold-rimmed spectacles on his nose.

Seeing Fang Xing, he smiled warmly: "For the Histories, everything that transpired here today is an absolute secret—even worms cannot know it… Isn't that right, Master of the Secret Sect?"

"The Divine Spirit of History…"

Fang Xing nodded in greeting, knowing this deity absolutely did not wish the forbidden ritual capable of sealing deities to be leaked, threatening the deity's position.

If not for fearing he could not defeat Fang Xing, the other would have spared nothing to erase him.

(End of Chapter)